India, June 6 -- Amid the ongoing debate around language use in Karnataka, prominent tech investor and former Infosys executive T.V. Mohandas Pai has weighed in, saying that professionals working in states like Karnataka must make an effort to learn and use the local language-Kannada-especially in public-facing roles.

Pai, who currently chairs Aarin Capital, criticised what he described as a growing trend of "arrogance" among certain individuals who relocate to Bengaluru but refuse to learn even basic Kannada. This attitude, he warned, leads to avoidable tensions with the local population.

"Bengaluru is one of the most inclusive cities in India. The native Kannada-speaking population here is around 33%. People from across the country ha...